Karen Ansel

Karen Ansel is a visual effects specialist in the United States.

Previously an Australian musician, she was an influential member of the Australian band The Reels. In 2001, the title track "Quasimodo's Dream" from their album Quasimodo's Dream was voted one of the Top 10 Australian Songs of all time by APRA.

Ansel worked in visual effects at Industrial Light & Magic in the United States. She supervised the Academy Award-winning effects in Vincent Ward’s film What Dreams May Come, as well as Nutty Professor II: The Klumps, Flubber, and artist Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle. Her film credits range from The Mask (1993) to Angels & Demons (2009), in addition to other major Hollywood film titles.

Music Ansel studied electronic music and sound synthesis with German-born, Australian composer Felix Werder in Melbourne. She was one few female musicians in the febrile art-punk scene in Melbourne (from which Nick Cave emerged). Her band 'The Romantics' were influenced by punk, disco and Beefheart. “I had a Korg MS-20, a Roland SH-2000 feeding though an MXR digital delay and a Lesley speaker.” she says. “We were motivated. (in 1977) There were still no other women playing those gigs yet the door was open with three chords and an attitude.” The band also featured Nick Seymour (bass), later of 'Crowded House'. 'The Romantics' played support for 'The Reels' and her approach to sound was noted by Mason and Hooper, alert for a change in direction for their band.

The Reels:

In 1979, the band welcomed her as a 6th member. Mason in particular had railed against the machismo in the Australian music industry. Ansel’s tenure significantly shaped the band’s sound, and Reels rehearsal sessions reflected innovations in electronics which were the inception of ‘Quasimodo’s Dream’, their groundbreaking second album. To signal the new direction, an EP of cover versions, ‘Five Great Gift Ideas’ was released including the original single, ‘After The News’. Their version of the Jim Reeves classic ‘According to My Heart’ reached a wide audience in Australia. In 2001 ’Quasimodo’s Dream’ was placed at 10 for the Top 30 Australian songs of all time, voted on by industry experts. Ansel was also an accomplished visual artist and worked with Mason to conceptualise themes for the tours, music videos, and artwork for posters and records in addition to stage costuming. The band toured with headset mics and small Bose speakers and electronic keyboards on the same circuits as the OzRock bands (Midnight Oil, INXS, Cold Chisel etc. Ansel and Mason sang backing vocals on INXS track ‘Stay Young’). They planned their third album on K-Tel, ‘Beautiful’. The gruelling Australian tour circuit took its toll In 1982 two original members of The Reels left. Ansel bought in Stephan Fidock (drummer) with whom she had played in The Romantics. Ansel too then decided leave. In 1983 she wrote and recorded a solo single ‘No Commotion’. In 1984 she fully left the music industry for London to pursue the emergent technology of 3D computer animation.

Ansel went on to become a world-renowned 3D computer visual effects specialist. In 2010 she was invited to become a member of the Visual Effects branch of AMPAS (The Oscars).

Solo discography 1983: "No Commotion" b/w "Casa", (produced by Neil Finn)